


Love at First Sight one-shots

by ap_91



Series: Love at First Sight [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 22:42:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12118782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ap_91/pseuds/ap_91
Summary: I've gotten a really good response to Nine Months (to a whole new life) so I thought I'd periodically add to that story. I'll post one shots here that go with that story line. I hope you enjoy reading these :)





	1. Facetime with Grams

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter takes place during the time jump between Chapters 8 and 9

Waverly tossed her braid over her shoulder and pulled her scarf tighter around her neck. Her coat no longer zipped over her belly but she was going crazy alone inside Nicole's house. Nicole wasn't getting off from work for another four hours, which made this the perfect opportunity for a walk. Nicole didn't like Waverly going out alone. She was constantly worried that Waverly would pass out alone and no one would be around to help her. But Waverly was certain that she was feeling well enough today to take a walk alone.

 

But what she had underestimated was how cold it was outside. And after only a short walk around the block, she walked as quickly as possible back towards Nicole's apartment.

 

When she pushed the door open, she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. She drew her brows together and picked up the bat Nicole kept by the front door. Taking a deep breath, she raised the bat and walked quickly into the kitchen, ready to attack the intruder.

 

"What the hell?" Nicole asked. She was sitting at the table with her feet up on another chair, her phone propped up on the table in front of her. "Uh, hey, Waves."

 

"Is that Waverly? Tell her to come say hi, dear," Waverly heard Nicole's grandmother say. Nicole must have been facetiming with her.

 

Waverly slowly lowered the bat and set it down on the table. She walked hesitantly towards Nicole, who dropped her feet and used her toe to push the chair back for Waverly.

 

"What the hell, Nicole? You scared the crap out of me." She sat down and leaned forward.

 

Nicole turned the phone slightly to get Waverly in frame and mouthed "I'm sorry."

 

"Grams! How are you?" Waverly said when she saw the older woman onscreen. She leaned forward on the table, cupping a hand on her cheek to rub some warmth into it without being noticed. But when Nicole narrowed her eyes at her, she knew she'd been caught.

 

"I'm good, dear. We were just talking about you."

 

"Grams," Nicole warned.

 

"What's she saying about me now? Just being overly concerned again?" Waverly looked at Nicole and smiled. She adored that Nicole was worried about her and that she talked to her grandmother about that.

 

"How are you, Waverly? Is Nicole feeding you properly?"

 

"Grams!" Nicole exclaimed. "Of course I am."

 

"Oh, shoo, Nic, let us talk." 

 

Waverly giggled and reached up to rub Nicole's shoulder. Grams smiled to herself as she watched them.

 

"Tell her, Waverly," Nicole said. "Tell her I'm taking care of you just fine." She looked at Waverly and clasped her hands together, pleadingly. She gave Waverly her largest puppy dog eyes.

 

Waverly nearly gave in. Those eyes and that smile could get her to do almost anything. She was slowly drowning in those eyes and she could feel herself being physically pulled towards Nicole.

 

"I'll reach through this screen and pull your ear," Grams warned, breaking Waverly's trance. "Don't make the girl lie to protect you." Gram tightened her upper lip as she looked at Nicole but then turned to Waverly with a soft smile. "Now tell me the truth, dear. Is my granddaughter taking care of you both properly?" 

 

'Waverly grinned as she answered truthfully, "No one could do a better job, Grams, I swear. Nicole is doing a great job taking care of me and the baby. I couldn't ask for a better friend through this."

 

Grams knit her brows together as she studied them. She'd never met a person more perfect for her Nicole. Melanie had been wonderful but Grams knew about their problems and knew they were irreconcilable. But Waverly? Waverly was smart and strong and brave. She made Nicole laugh and she kept her on her toes. She clearly wanted children. She knew Nicole was well on her way to being in love with Waverly Earp, if she wasn’t there already. And as for Waverly's feelings? Grams had only spoken to the girl a few times but Nicole talked about her often. She knew the kind things Waverly did for Nicole and the way she put Nicole's feelings above almost anything else. She was pretty sure Waverly loved her granddaughter, too. But they were being stubborn, was all.

 

If they didn't figure it out soon, she wasn't above stepping in to push things along.

 

"You're not just lying to protect her?" she teased.

 

"I'd tell you if she was going a bad job," Waverly said with a wink. "I know you'd whip her into shape."

 

"Are you two done talking about me like I'm not here?" Nicole interjected, pretending to be offended and rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms and sat back in her seat.

 

"Aw, you poor baby," Waverly said, shooting a glance at Nicole before rolling her eyes for Grams' benefit. "You'd think you were the pregnant one or something." Waverly dropped a hand to her stomach, caressing it gently.

 

"How you feeling today? Well enough to go out, I see," Nicole said.

 

"Look at this," Waverly said to Grams while gesturing to Nicole. "I can't even go out for a walk alone without this one getting worried. She's doing a great job."

 

Nicole blushed and looked down at her hands. She knew she was probably coming off as extra cautious and possibly even overbearing. She couldn't help herself, though. Waverly could really get hurt if she passed out alone on the street. She knew the people of Purgatory adored Waverly and most would stop to help her but Nicole couldn't rationalize this fear.

 

"I'm good, really," Waverly whispered when she saw Nicole begin to look uncomfortable. She reached out a hand and gently rubbed Nicole's arm. "I was feeling good this morning and a little cooped up so I just went for a short walk. If I'd known you were coming home early, I would have let you know."

 

Nicole gave Waverly a small smile before turning back to her grandmother. An idea suddenly struck her. "Hey, Grams, do you mind if we call you back later? Maybe Waverly would like to go the library for a bit." She saw Waverly's eyes light up and knew she'd hit it on the head.

 

Grams saw the innocent excitement cross Waverly's face too. "Of course. Have fun, you two. I'll talk to you soon. And Waverly?"

 

"Yes, Grams?"

 

"You don't need to wait for Nicole to call me. Call me whenever you want."

 

"Thank you," Waverly said quietly with a smile on her face. "I'll do that." She was so grateful to have the Haught family in her life. No one outside her relatives had ever treated her so kindly. "Talk to you soon," she said with a wave.

 

"Good," Grams exclaimed. "Talk soon. Bye." She ended the call before Nicole could get her own goodbye in.

 

"Well I guess we know which one she really wanted to talk to," Nicole said, looking at the now-blank screen of her cell phone.

 

Waverly giggled. "I'm sure she just wanted us to get a move on to the library. Can we go now?" she asked excitedly.

 

Nicole, not one to deny the girl anything, nodded and offered her hand to help her stand.

 

 

 

 


	2. Exceeding Acceptable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole visits Waverly the day before their wedding to tell her the truth about last night

Waverly smiled at herself in the mirror. She ran a hand down the dress, smoothing the lace that she'd painstakingly sewn into a wedding gown. She reached up and adjusted the flower crown on her head, pushing aside thoughts of Stephanie's snide comments on how lame flower crowns were. She liked it and that's all that mattered. She hoped Nicole didn't think it was lame, though. The knock on the door pulled her out of that thought before she could worry too much about it. 

"Who is it?" she asked quietly. 

"It's Nicole." 

Oh shit. "Uhhh, hold on!" she squeaked out. "Give me a minute." She took the crown off and laid it on the floor of her closet, making sure to cover it with a blanket. She pulled the dress over her head slowly, careful not to catch the lace on her jewelry, and hung it in the dark corner of her closet. She grabbed the short silk robe off the dresser and tossed it on as she made her way across the room to unlock the door. 

"Hey, babe," Nicole said, smirking and skimming her eyes down the length of Waverly. "Whatcha doing?" She tucked her tongue in her cheek. Waverly hadn't bothered to belt her robe. 

"Hi. What are you doing here?" she asked, reaching down for the belt. 

"Leave it," Nicole whispered. She pulled Waverly flush against her, slipping her hands beneath the silk to skim her fingers up Waverly's bare back. "I miss you both too much. Figured you would be home alone right now." They had decided to spend the three days before their wedding apart - Waverly and Winnie at the homestead, Nicole at the apartment downtown. It had been less than 24 hours since they'd last seen each other. Nicole dropped her forehead to Waverly's shoulder. 

"Baby, I miss you, too," Waverly said, tangling her fingers in the hair at Nicole's nape. "Hungover?" Nicole nodded against her shoulder. The deputies had taken Nicole out for a night of alcohol and debauchery one last time before the wedding. "Did you have fun last night?" She felt Nicole's body stiffen and rubbed a hand up her arm. "Nic? You okay, babe?" She cupped Nicole's cheek, trying to get her to look up.

Instead, Nicole stepped back and rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, about last night. We should talk." 

"Oh my god. What'd they do? Which deputy do I need to shoot?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and glaring up at Nicole. 

"Uh, no, babe. It's, uh, it's just that wegotdrunkandtheguystookmetoastripclub."

"What was that?" Waverly asked, raising her eyebrow. She understood her soon-to-be wife perfectly but Nicole just looked so sad and ashamed, she couldn't help herself. The deputies had run the plan by her before taking Nicole out. None of them wanted to deal with the wrath of either Earp sister. Plus, Waverly knew Nicole and she trusted her. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Nicole's love for her was unwavering. 

"I went to a strip club," Nicole mumbled, continuing to look down at her shoes. 

"Oh really?" Waverly crossed her arms and leaned against the door jamb, smiling. "How was that for you?"

"Waverly, I feel awful. I'm so sorry." 

"It's okay," Waverly sighed. She was defenseless against Nicole's pout. 

"No, it's not," Nicole said, shaking her head. "We're getting married! And I went to, I went to a seedy strip joint!" 

"Shh, you're going to wake the baby." She nudged Nicole until she took another step back so Waverly could step out into the hall and close the bedroom door. "Nic, I know you've been to strip clubs before. Hell, you've been to one with Wynonna." 

"I know but this is different." They were about to be married, for Christ's sake. 

"Did you touch them or something?" Waverly had no problem with Nicole having a raunchy party but the thought of her actually touching another woman made Waverly want to throw up. 

"No! Of course not." She finally looked up at Waverly. "I couldn't even look at them! I just wanted to be home with you." 

Waverly giggled and slipped her hands around Nicole's waist and into her back pockets to bring them closer. "You're adorable." She pushed up to her toes and kissed the spot below Nicole's ear that she knew would drive her fiancée crazy. 

"Wait, you're not mad at me?" Nicole asked. Was she still drunk? Why wasn't Waverly mad or jealous or anything? Her eyes crossed as Waverly's tongue darted out. Out of reflex, she brought her hands up to Waverly's hips, her fingers digging in in response to Waverly's tongue. 

"Of course not, silly." Waverly leaned back to look up at Nicole. "I know you love me and I know you love Winnie. So that means I know I can trust that you'd never do anything to hurt us. And that you'll come back to us." Nicole dropped her eyes again, unable to meet Waverly's eye. "What is it, my love?"

"So you still want to marry me?" she whispered. 

"What?!" Waverly shrieked. "Nicole, what the hell happened last night?" 

"I got drunk and went to a strip club where there were naked women all around me." Nicole's cheeks were burning. 

"Baby, you'd have to do a lot more than that to make me not want to marry you." Waverly pulled Nicole a little closer. Her fiancée was a worrier but this was one thing she didn't need to spend a minute more worrying about. Waverly had never wanted anything as much as she wanted to marry Nicole Haught. "I love you too much to let you go that easily." When Nicole still didn't look up at her, Waverly said gently, "You didn't cheat on me by going there." When Nicole's head quickly lifted, she knew she'd hit the nail on the head. 

"I didn't?" Nicole had been so ashamed of herself. She knew Champ had constantly cheated on Waverly. Waverly had talked to her about how it made her feel unloved and not good enough. She never wanted Waverly to feel either of those things in their relationship. She wanted to shower Waverly in the love she deserved because she was everything. 

"No, I promise." She kissed Nicole's cheek. "Anything else?" she asked with a cautious smile. Nicole shook her head. "Okay, then why don't I make you some coffee and send you on your way. The last thing we need is Wynonna finding you here today. She'll never leave us alone again. Does that sound okay?" Nicole nodded. "Good." 

Nicole leaned down and kissed Waverly, bringing her hand up to cup her cheek. "I love you," she whispered. She gave Waverly another quick kiss when Waverly took her hand to lead her down the hall. "Wait." She tugged on Waverly's hand. "Where's my girl?" 

"I'm right here." Waverly squeezed Nicole's hand. 

"My other girl, Waves."

"She's sleeping. She didn't sleep well without you last night." She pushed open the bedroom door and stood back to let Nicole get close to the crib. 

Nicole looked down at the baby sleeping in the crib and smiled. "Hi, cutie," she whispered. "Mama missed you last night." She stroked a finger down Winnie's cheek, coming to rest her hand on the baby's chest. "She missed you screaming this morning and throwing your breakfast across the kitchen. She missed your stinky farts. She missed you snoring and making that little gurgling sound." Winnie blew out a few spit bubbles and Nicole laughed. "Yeah that's the one." Nicole brushed the tiny hairs off the baby's head and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, gorgeous." 

"I love watching you with her." Waverly had sat down at the edge of the bed to watch them and was twisting her ring around her finger. She smiled up at Nicole when she turned to look at her. 

"Hey, what's that?" Nicole had caught sight of a flower sticking out of the bottom of the closet. 

"Nothing!" Waverly moved quickly to stand between Nicole and the closet. 

"Well that's not suspicious. What is it, baby?"

"It's a surprise. Don't ruin it. Please, babe." She linked her hands with Nicole. "It's for the wedding," she said with a small smile.

"Oh? Which wedding is that?" Nicole grinned and swung their linked hands back and forth, leaning forward to kiss Waverly's lips lightly. 

"I'm not sure but you might want to show up here sometime tomorrow or you'll miss it." 

"Oh, you know," Nicole looked up at the ceiling in thought, "I think I heard something about that actually." 

"I'm sure you did." She kissed Nicole's jaw. "Nervous?" she asked, looking up into her favorite hazel eyes. 

"I'm nervous that I'm going to pass out when I see you." She leaned her head back to give Waverly better access to her neck. "I'm nervous that I'm going to swallow my tongue or lose the ability to say my vows." 

"It might help if you're not hungover or picturing other naked women," Waverly mumbled. Nicole's raised her eyebrow and Waverly could see the pout forming in her eyes again. "It's a joke, baby. Let's get that coffee." She dragged Nicole down to the kitchen and turned the coffee maker on. Leaning back against the counter, she studied the woman sitting at the table. Nicole Haught had completely changed her life. She would have been fine marrying Champ and having kids with him, working at Shorty's until she was too old to do so. It would have been a perfectly acceptable life. But life with Nicole exceeded acceptable. It was extraordinary and it was more than Waverly ever thought she would have. Life with Nicole was fun and challenging and Nicole pushed her to do things she wouldn't otherwise do. Life with Nicole was filled with love. 

When the coffee was ready, she poured some into a travel mug and took it to Nicole. "I can't wait to marry you tomorrow," Waverly said. She ran her fingers through Nicole's hair, letting her palm come to rest on her cheek. "So today, I need you to drink this coffee, go back to the apartment, and sleep off this hangover. That way you'll be ready tomorrow. Okay?"

Nicole nodded. Circling Waverly's wrist with her fingers, she turned her head to press a kiss to Waverly's palm. "I'm sure Grams will make sure I do just that when I get back." Standing, she pulled Waverly into a tight hug, appreciating the feel of Waverly's warm breath on her neck and strong arms around her. "I can't wait to marry you either," she whispered into her ear. She felt Waverly's lips curve up against her skin. "These have been the best two and half years of my life."

"We're just getting started, baby," Waverly replied with a giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Earpers, thanks for reading!


	3. We Miss You

Nicole rolled over on the large bed and pulled one of the pillows closer. It smelled like flowers and gun powder. It smelled like Waverly. She squeezed the pillow closer, curling her body around it. The scent on the pillow had been slowly disappearing. Night after night of holding the pillow close. Her own scent had begun to mingle with it - vanilla and salt. Vanilla from the perfume Waverly had given her. Salt from the tears she couldn't keep in late at night. 

She heard the door creak open and turned her head to see Winnie in the doorway, clutching her teddy in one arm and rubbing a fist over her eye with the other. "Mommy?" she asked, with a tear-thickened voice. 

"Oh sweetie, Mommy's not here." She climbed out of bed and crouched in front of Winnie. She put her hands on Winnie's waist. "Did you have a bad dream?" Winnie nodded slowly. She pulled the little girl closer to her for a hug. 

"Mama, can I sleep with you?" She clutched the back of her mom's shirt tightly.

"Of course, baby." She picked her up, laying her in the middle of the bed. Whenever Winnie had a bad dream, which used to be once or twice a month, she came and slept between Nicole and Waverly. Recently though, Winnie had been coming into their room multiple times a week. Having them on either side of her made Winnie feel safe. Nicole pulled the pillow she had been cuddling closer to Winnie's right side. She laid down on her left side, putting an arm around her daughter. "Is this okay, Winnie?" 

"When is Mommy coming home? I like it better when you're both here." She buried her head in Nicole's chest, letting her tears soak into Nicole's t-shirt. 

Nicole tightened her arms around Winnie. She pressed a kiss to the deep chestnut hair, as she often did to Waverly. "She'll be home soon. Go to sleep now. I'll make you pancakes in the morning." 

"Will you stay with me until I wake up?" 

"I'm not going anywhere." She kissed Winnie's head again before resting her chin on top of the girl's head and closing her eyes. "I'll always be here when you need me." 

In the morning, Winnie woke to her mother still wrapped tight around her. She'd kept her promise. She let her sleep for a few minutes before she remembered she was promised pancakes. She quickly woke her mama up and reminded her. Nicole carried Winnie down to the kitchen and set her on the counter while she made the pancakes. She cut them up into small pieces and put them on Winnie's favorite Frozen plate. 

While Winnie ate, Nicole drank her coffee and watched her daughter. She looked so much like Waverly. Long chestnut hair and deep hazel eyes. God she missed her wife. She rubbed a hand over her chest, trying to dull the deep ache. But right now, she needed to put that aside.

"Winnie, can you tell me about your dream last night?" Winnie stopped with her fork halfway up to her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears. "Baby, it's okay." She moved over and drew Winnie into her lap, holding her tight. "You're safe now. It was just a dream. I promise." 

"I dreamed that I got lost."

"You got lost?" The girl nodded. "Where did you get lost?"

"At the park." 

"At the park, okay. Who did you go to the park with?"

"Mommy."

"You got lost from Mommy? Where was I, huh? I thought we always go to the park together?" She feigned hurt. 

Winnie looked up at Nicole, cuddling closer to her. "You found me. I was crying and I was alone and Mommy wasn't anywhere. But you found me and we went home."

"And what happened to Mommy?" 

"She didn't come home," she said, choking on her tears. She began to sob and turned into Nicole.

"Okay, okay," Nicole said, rubbing a hand up and down Winnie's back. "Mommy will be home soon. It was just a bad dream." She held Winnie until she calmed down, continuing to rub her back and talk to her, to be sure Winnie knew she was there. 

Nicole made sure Winnie was okay enough to stay at kindergarten before she left for work. She hated leaving her when she knew how upset she was. But duty calls. She sighed as she walked into the police department and took her seat behind her desk. She made it to 11 before she called her wife, escaping to her car for some much needed privacy. 

"Hey, baby," Waverly said cheerfully when she answered.

"Hi, Waves." She rested her forehead against her steering wheel. "How are you?"

"Aw, babe, are you okay?" Waverly could hear the distress in Nicole's voice. 

"I miss you, Waverly. So much. We miss you. She keeps asking when you're coming home."

"Oh sweetie. I wish I was there with you. I miss you both so much." 

Nicole heard rustling in the background. "Can we come tomorrow? Just for the afternoon. We won't take up too much time." Waverly was in grad school at the university a few hours away. 

"Babe, I wish you could. But we're doing onsite research for the next week. We're all the way out in Winnipeg." 

Nicole sucked in a deep breath and tried to keep the tears at bay. 

"I'm so sorry, Nicole. I wish I was with you so I could hold you close and kiss you." 

"It's okay. Maybe next weekend. I don't know. We need to see you soon, Waves. Winnie's been having nightmares. And I can barely breathe without you here." 

"Nightmares? Nicole, is she okay?"

"We’re working through it. But she sleeps with me more often than not." 

"Baby, why didn't you tell me before?" Waverly didn't sound angry; she sounded sad. 

"I didn't want to worry you." Nicole sniffled. She looked up to see Wynonna standing in front of her car. "Uh, I have to go."

"Okay, we'll talk this weekend, I promise. I love you so much. I'll see you real soon. Mwah," she blew a kiss at Nicole. 

"I love you, Waves." She rolled her eyes at Wynonna who was telling her to hurry up. "Bye, baby." Nicole ended the call and got out of the car. 

"My sister?" Nicole shrugged and walked past her. "Everything okay?"

"No."

"Aw do you miss Waverly?" Wynonna taunted. 

"Wynonna please. Please leave me alone." She walked quickly back into the police department. She wanted this day to be over. She wanted to be curled up on the couch with Winnie, watching Frozen and eating pizza. The thought of another weekend with Waverly was almost too much to bear. Wynonna watched her walk away, wishing she could do something more. She knew how proud Nicole was of Waverly but she also knew how much of a sacrifice it was for the both of them. 

The rest of the day rolled by slowly. She stared at her phone in confusion when it rang around 3:30. The caller id identified Winnie's school. 

"Hello?"

"Deputy Haught?"

"Yes."

"This is Alice at the kindergarten. I'm calling about Winnie."

"Is she okay?" Nicole was already reaching into the bottom drawer to take out her bag and car keys. 

"She's really upset and she keeps asking for you. We've been trying to calm her down but nothing seems to be working."

"She had a nightmare last night and her mom has been out of town. Can I come get her?" 

"Of course. I'll have her things ready when you get here." 

Nicole walked quickly into Sheriff Nedley's office to tell him she was leaving early. He was reluctant at first but when Nicole told him it was for Winnie, he softened. He'd never admit it but he cared about Nicole like she was his daughter and about Winnie like she was a granddaughter. He waved Nicole out of his office, telling her to have a good weekend. 

The moment Nicole walked through the doors of the daycare, Winnie was running full speed into her arms. Nicole quickly dropped to her knees to hug her daughter. 

"Mama," she sobbed into Nicole's neck. "Mama."

"I'm here, Win, I'm here." She cradled Winnie against her as she stood up. She sent Alice an appreciative smile when she handed Nicole Winnie's backpack. "Thanks. Do I need to sign her out or anything?"

"No, Deputy. She can go with you. Have a good weekend." 

Nicole forced another smiled. She wished people would stop saying that. "Alright, sweetie, let's go home." She struggled at the car to convince Winnie to sit in the backseat. She was afraid to let go of Nicole. She hated resorting to bribery but was at her wit's end. She promised Winnie an extra twenty minutes of story time before bed. She pressed an extra kiss to Winnie's tear-stained cheek when she let go of Nicole and allowed herself to be buckled in. "I love you, Winnie."

"Love you, Mama," she said, sniffling. Nicole dug her teddy bear out her backpack and handed it to her. Winnie clutched it to her chest. Nicole gave her a sad smile. 

"Do you want to watch Frozen when we get home?" Winnie nodded. "Okay, let's go home then. I'll make you hot chocolate. With marshmallows." She kissed Winnie again before getting in the driver's seat. 

They were just settling onto the couch to start the movie when the doorbell rang. Nicole tucked the blanket around Winnie and got up. Peering through the peephole, all she could see was a bouquet of lilies. She opened the door. The lilies slowly lowered, revealing Waverly. 

"Waves?" God, was she hallucinating now too? Maybe she was more tired than she thought. She reached out her hand to touch her cheek. 

"Surprise." She grinned widely at her wife. "Can I come in?" 

Nicole was still standing, dumbfounded in the doorway. She shook her head to clear it and stepped back. Waverly dropped her bags and the lilies next to the door. Reaching up, she cupped Nicole's face, wiping the tears flowing down her wife's face. "Oh, baby." She pulled Nicole closer to kiss her. 

Feeling the warm lips against hers broke Nicole out of her trance. She wrapped her arms tight around Waverly's waist and brought her closer, eliciting a squeal from Waverly. Waverly played with the hair at the nape of Nicole's neck and kissed her again. "Hi, Nicole," she said against her lips. 

"Hi, Waverly." She leaned in for another kiss but it was all teeth - neither could contain their massive grins. "How are you here?" She had a vise-like grip on Waverly's waist. She couldn't let her slip from her hold. She understood now how desperately Winnie was holding on earlier in the car. 

"I may have told you a small white lie. We have a break right now. I'm home for a week." She watched Nicole's face light up before she was pulled tight into a hug. 

"Mama! Are you coming?" Winnie yelled from the living room. 

The women laughed and Nicole cocked her head. "You should go in first. She's had a pretty tough day." She pressed her lips to Waverly's forehead. "Go, I'll get this stuff." She bent down to pick up the flowers and Waverly's bags. 

"Finally," Winnie said when she heard her mother walk back in. She was using her finger to try and take a marshmallow out of her hot chocolate. Waverly quickly took the mug from the girl before she spilled it. "Mama," she whined. She looked up at the adult next to her and her eye widened. "Mommy!!" Winnie jumped over the arm of the couch and landed on top of Waverly. "Mommy, you're home. I missed you so much." 

"Hi, my pretty girl." She smiled up at Winnie. "Are you going to watched Frozen?"

"Yes. Mama said we could."

"Well, do you think I could watch with you?" She watched Winnie's face explode into the biggest grin before she nodded and pulled Waverly to her feet. She took Nicole's place next to Winnie on the couch. Letting Winnie snuggle into her left side, she pressed a few kisses to her head and held her close. 

"Sorry," Nicole said when she came in. "I ordered some pizza." She gestured to the seat next to Waverly. "May I?"

Waverly smirked up at Nicole. "Do I want to hold both my girls while I watch Frozen and eat pizza? Sounds like heaven." Nicole sat down next to Waverly and tossed an arm over the back of the sofa. "I think we're ready. You ready?" Waverly asked Winnie. The young girl smiled and nodded up at her. "Ready." Nicole pressed play on the remote and bit back a groan when Waverly slid a hand high up on her thigh. 

Late that night, Waverly crawled up her wife's sweaty body, leaving open-mouthed kisses on her way up. "Was that good, babe?" Waverly tossed her hair over her shoulder, leaning in to nibble at Nicole's ear. 

"Shit. God, Waverly." She was struggling to breathe and her body continued to quiver. She ran a hand up Waverly's leg. "Just give me a second," she said as her eyes began to droop. 

"We've got all week, Nic." Waverly kissed Nicole's jaw. "But you do need to sit up for a second to put some clothes on. Winnie could walk in at any minute." Waverly reached into the bag she'd brought with her and dug out a couple shirts. She tossed one at Nicole and slipped into the other. 

Nicole held the shirt up and stared at it. "This is mine." Waverly blushed. "Why do you have my shirt in your bag?"

Waverly flopped down next to her wife, reaching out and tracing her hipbone. "It smells like you. I like to sleep in it." 

"You're a sap."

"Says the woman who called from her car to tell me she missed me." Waverly sighed. "Geez, put a shirt on. I have a hard time controlling myself around my beautiful naked wife." 

Nicole rolled them over so she was hovering above Waverly. "Oh yeah?" Waverly ran her hands up Nicole's sides. "I slept with your pillow," she admitted. 

"Well who's the sap now?" She smiled up at Nicole. "I prefer the real thing, though." 

"Me too." She sat back, straddling Waverly and pulled the shirt over her head. "I -" she hesitated. 

"What is it, baby?" Waverly rubbed a hand up and down Nicole's thigh. 

"I know I usually hold you when we sleep." She cleared her throat. Waverly held a finger up to Nicole's lips. She opened her arms for Nicole. She laid her head on Waverly's chest, nuzzling into her neck. Waverly's arm wrapped tight around her. "Thank you."

"I love you, Nic. I missed you." She tangled her fingers in Nicole's hair. "Go to sleep, babe. I'll be here when you wake up." 

"I love you, too," Nicole mumbled. "Please don't leave again."

That night, all three Haught-Earps slept soundlessly and woke up content to find their family finally back together.


	4. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! 
> 
> A little background from a chapter I haven't posted (*finished*) yet - Nicole and Waverly adopted two siblings, Emilia and Thomas. This is their first Christmas as a bigger family.

Nicole sat down on the bottom step and watched her wife hurry around the living room. The Christmas tree was shining bright in the darkened room, the lights reflecting off the gold gift boxes below it. There were gifts for each of the kids below the tree. Some from Nicole and Waverly, that had been wrapped and placed there weeks ago. The kids had been going crazy trying to figure out what was in each box. Some had been placed just minutes ago, with tags reading ‘From Santa.’ This was Emilia and Tommy’s first Christmas with them and they wanted to make it as special as they could.

  
Waverly picked up the blanket on the sofa and folded it over the armrest. She knew one of the kids would grab it in the morning and make a mess again. But she didn’t care. It had become a ritual after putting the kids to bed. Pick up the living room. Tonight she was taking extra care to make sure everything was in place. Tomorrow morning was Christmas and she wanted it to be perfect. She turned to scan the room and jumped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. “Shit,” she whispered. “You scared me.”

  
Nicole stood up and walked over to her wife. “How’s this?”

“Hmm.” Waverly straightened the red hat on Nicole’s head. She’d dressed up as Santa, complete with large belly and long white beard. “Sexy.” She slipped her arms around Nicole’s waist, leaning up on her toes for a kiss.

“Old men more your thing these days? I’ll have to keep that in mind.” She pulled Waverly flush against her. “Ho ho ho.”

“Merry Christmas, baby.” She pushed Nicole backwards until the back of her knees hit the sofa and she toppled over. Waverly moved to straddle Nicole’s lap, kissing her roughly.

“Merry Christmas to me,” Nicole said, without opening her eyes.

“You’re a dork. A very sexy dork,” she added, kissing the tip of her nose. She left kisses across Nicole’s cheek and down her neck before burrowing her head there. “I’m nervous about tomorrow.”

Nicole’s arms tightened around her. “Me too,” she confessed. She pressed her lips to the side of Waverly’s head.

“I just want them to have the best Christmas ever.”

“I know. They haven’t said anything to you about other Christmases right?”

“No, you?” She snuggled in closer.

“No. We’ll make this one amazing. But now, I think we have one last Christmas Eve tradition to finish.” She stood up quickly with Waverly still in her arms, making her squeal and wrap her legs around her.

The Santa costume soon found a home on the floor of their bedroom.

~~~~~~~

The next morning, the kids were up early, waiting for their parents to come down. They huddled together under the blanket on the couch, watching a rerun of Frosty the Snowman. Winnie and Tommy commented throughout the movie, giggling and talking over each other. Emilia sat quietly between them, focusing on the cartoon snowman.  
When she heard her moms come down the stairs together, she huddled closer to her brother.

“Merry Christmas, my babies!” Waverly cried, moving to wrap them all in a big group hug.

“Family hug,” Nicole said, wrapping them from the other side. “Merry Christmas!” They let the kids go and sat back. “You guys hungry? I’ll make pancakes?” Cheers erupted on the couch. “Yay, let’s go.” She lifted Emilia up into her arms and stood to walk to the kitchen. Emilia linked her arms around Nicole’s neck and squeezed her tight. “Want to help me, princess?” She set her down on the counter. Emilia nodded.

Waverly had the other kids set the table while Nicole and Emilia got the pancakes ready. She made the coffee, stopping to give Nicole a mug and a kiss. She offered Emilia a hand to help her down from the counter. Emilia looked at Waverly’s hand but shook her head.

“Don’t you want to sit at the table, Em?”

“I’ll come with Mama,” she said without looking up. Waverly looked at Nicole who shrugged. Clearly the five year old was upset about something. That’s usually when she clung to Nicole like this. The first few times it happened, Waverly had been hurt by the girl’s dismissal but she tried to remind herself that Emilia had a special bond with Nicole and that was okay.

“Alright, who’s ready for some pancakes?” Nicole asked excitedly. She placed a plateful of pancakes in the middle of the table before going back for Emilia. The kids hurried through breakfast, eager to open presents. Waverly only had to tell Tommy to slow down once, though, so they considered it a successful meal.

The kids all ripped through their gifts, marveling at the new toys that were finally revealed to them. When they moved to the gifts from Santa, Emilia asked if she could open that one later.

“If you want. But don’t you want to see what Santa brought you?” Waverly asked.

“No! I don’t care about Santa!” she yelled, running out of the room and up the stairs.

“I’ll go,” Nicole said. She pressed a kiss to the top of Tommy’s head on her way out. Nicole followed Emilia up the stairs. She knew from experience that she was probably curled up under her bed. Laying down on the floor of their bedroom, she looked under the bed first. Surprisingly, she wasn’t there. “Huh, strange.” She looked around the rest of the kid’s room but no little girl. Scratching her head, she walked into her own bedroom and found Emilia laying on her back in the middle of their big bed. “Hi, love, what’re you doing in here?”

Nicole laid down next to her, putting her head near Emilia’s. She decided to wait for Emilia to talk rather than ask her again.

Eventually it paid off. “Mama, what will happen to me and Tommy if you and Mommy aren’t together anymore?”

“What are you talking about?” Nicole rolled over on her side, leaning on her elbow, and looking down at Emilia. “Mommy and I love each other. And we love you.”

“But what if that wasn’t true?” she asked quietly.

“Why are you asking this today?”

“I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night,” she cried, fat tears running down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes tight and rolled into her mom.

“Sweetie, no.” She wrapped her arms around her and rubbed her back. “That was me. I dressed up like Santa. Like we did on Halloween.” She held tight while she calmed down. When she felt the shaking subside, she nudged her backwards. “Look.” She pointed to the corner of the room where the Santa costume was laying on the floor. Emilia looked over towards the red and white outfit. “See?”

“So you and mommy aren’t breaking up?”

“No, we’re not. That’s not happening. I promise, Em." She wiped the tears off Emilia's face. "Now come on, let’s go back down. I can put the costume back on if you want.”

Emilia’s eyes lit up and she nodded, a big smile spreading across her face.

“Alright, help me out.” The little girl helped her mama put the costume back on, giggling as Nicole stuffed a pillow in her pants to make a big belly. She pulled the beard down Nicole’s face, snapping it against her chin, making Nicole’s yelp in pain.

“Sorry,” she giggled.

“How do I look?” Nicole spread her arms wide and turned in a slow circle.

“You look like Santa Claus, Mama.” Nicole swept Emilia up into her arms, making the girl laugh in delight. That was the sound she wanted today. She hated that there had been any tears on this special day and wanted to make sure the rest of the day went well.

“Let’s go surprise everyone.” They walked down the stairs together, saying “Ho, ho, ho” over and over until they got to the bottom of the stairs.

“Santa!” Tommy yelled.

“It’s Mama, silly,” Emilia corrected him. She didn’t want him to have the same thought she had earlier.

“Mama, you look just like Santa!” Tommy said. Nicole kneeled in front of him and pulled him into a big hug. Winnie came up behind her and threw her arms around her neck, making Nicole topple over backwards with the other kids in her arms. They all landed in a giggling pile.

“Em, you ready to open your gift from Santa now?” Emilia nodded and crawled off Nicole.

Nicole watched her run over to where she’d left the big box. She moved closer to Waverly and pulled her into her lap. “She saw you kiss me in this outfit last night. Thought we were splitting up,” she whispered, covering it up with a quick kiss next to Waverly’s ear. “Everything’s fine now. Merry Christmas, my love” Waverly turned her head and laid a soft kiss on Nicole’s lips.

Neither saw Emilia stop unwrapping her gift to watch them. For the five year old, this was the best Christmas imaginable. Her and her brother were still together. They had an older sister now who played with them and helped them. They had parents who loved each other and loved them, too. Her eyes flicked down and caught the edge of the toy packing in her hand. And Santa knew exactly what she wanted and where she would be this year! It was a special Christmas. She hoped every Christmas would be like this.

“Whoa. Mommy, can we play with the gift Santa brought Em?” Tommy yelled.

“Volume, Thomas,” Waverly said. “If Em says you can, then you can.” Waverly kept her arm around Nicole’s neck and watched the three kids play together. “Merry Christmas, Nicole,” she whispered. “I love you.” A year ago, she never imagined they’d be here today but she was incredibly grateful for the addition of their two new loves.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know if you want me to continue adding one-shots here or not. And if there's something you want to see, let me know! I love prompts. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. :)


End file.
